Bock Italic Nibs

[pepsiplease69]

Good evening all..

 

I've ordered some italic nibs from beaufort ink.

 

http://www.beaufortink.co.uk/bockcalligraphy.html

 

Anybody have any experience with these?

 

The shipping was fast, but coming from UK to sunny California will take some time. It was probably a good thing that they didn't provide any tracking number otherwise I'd be very impatiently checking the progress of the long journey every few hours.

 

I opted for the following:

 

1 x Bock nib with kit housing #5 polished steel - italic point - 1.5mm

1 x Bock nib with kit housing #5 polished steel - italic point - 1.9mm

1 x Bock nib with kit housing #6 polished steel - italic point - 1.5mm

1 x Bock nib with kit housing #6 polished steel - italic point - 1.9mm

 

 

I went with the kit compatible housing for all nibs but there was an option to go with bock factory housing as well. Not sure what the difference is there, which is compatible with which.

 

Anybody with prior experience with this?

[Bluey]

I have the 1.1mm and it's a very nice writer, very smooth. You'll like them. Phil provides a great service.

 

I'm not sure about the kit compatible option but as I believe they're unable to sell Bock nibs on their own without any housing. That's all I know.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Bluey

[OCArt]

Do the nibs come out of the housing for use in other pens? Thanks in advance.

[Bluey]

Do the nibs come out of the housing for use in other pens? Thanks in advance.

Yup. Sometimes they slide out easily, other times they need some encouragement

Edited May 21, 2016 by Bluey

[pepsiplease69]

 

I have the 1.1mm and it's a very nice writer, very smooth. You'll like them. Phil provides a great service.

 

I'm not sure about the kit compatible option but as I believe they're unable to sell Bock nibs on their own without any housing. That's all I know.

Thanks for that. I'm eager to try out these nibs. I'll provide photos as I go along. And I'll also try to share what I find on the kit compatible housing

 

 

 

Do the nibs come out of the housing for use in other pens? Thanks in advance.

 

I saw somewhere that this nib will fit into a konrad or ahab, the size 6 nibs.

 

If the size 5's are anything like the kaweco sport nibs, they should work nicely in my nib creapers.

[Frank66]

1. The nibs are relatively easy to come off the housing and placed back in again if needed, according to my experience. Beaufort policy is not to sell the nibs without the whole housing.

2. I am not sure what the real difference between the BOCK housing VS the KIT COMPATIBLE housing is. BeaufortInk also sells pen kits and pen blanks for custom kitless pens, so my guess is that the KIT COMPATIBLE housings are for specifically for these pens. If you care too much, Phil at Beaufort Ink I am sure would be glad to answer if emailed.

3. I used the #6 EF and F nibs and BOCK housings for my Kaigelu 316 modification, and I am so very well pleased. The feeds are able to support the nibs and the nibs write quite wet and so smoothly.

4. If you plan to use the whole nib housing and not just the nib, my advice would be to also buy a compatible Beaufort ink convertor too, because it may be that your own converters may not work just as well with the new housing. However I have found that a standard international cartridge converter or a Pelican cartridge converter or a Schmidt K5 converter would similary fit fine on the Bock housing feed nipple.

Edited May 22, 2016 by Frank66

[BJT]

I saw somewhere that this nib will fit into a konrad or ahab, the size 6 nibs.

 

if mine was anything to go by it fits but is a bit of a loose fit, easily cured however with a little bit of plastic as a shim.

Edited May 22, 2016 by BJT

[Phil_Dart]

Hello. I'm aware of this thread, but have no time to contribute right at the moment, as it's Sunday and my wife has other ideas! I promise I will come back and shed some light on the housings either later today or tomorrow.

Phil

[garyc]

The Bock housings also fit the Namisu pens (Google and you will find the review that mentions/shows this). For the Kaigelu 316 they are just friction fit, but for the Namisu they do use the screw thread.

 

My venture with the 1.1 fitted to the 316 was not totally successful, flow was not always reliable on the first up/down stroke after a pause. I have now flushed and ultrasonic'd it and fitted it to one of the my Namisus (with the Beaufort converter). Not really had much time to use and test it, but initial impressions were favourable.

 

The Bock 1.1 is certainly much nicer than the TWSBI 1.1 which I didn't like at all, far too broad for my liking, I swapped it for an EF and was much happier.

[Phil_Dart]

OK then - nib housings.

We are prevented by Bock's terms and conditions from selling their nibs without a housing and feed. Anyone selling them naked is either at risk of losing their agency or is not an agent and is getting them through the back door - in either case it's possible you will will not get any back up if you ever need it.

To put the housing in perspective though, its cost is pennies - the value is all in the nib, so if it's just the nib you need, the bits that will end up in the bin are not of any great value.

We provide several types of housing, the most cost effective and best one being Bock's own. If it's likely you will only need the nib, this is the option to go for. Nibs are a friction fit inside the housing, and in the case of most pens it's a question of fitting your new nib in to your existing housing. They are also the most popular housing for those who make custom pens either professionally of as a hobby, and it is these housings with which our housing thread taps are compatible.

The kit compatible housings, of which we have more than one type, are for those who enjoy making pens on a lathe using commercially available pen kits as a platform. The discerning amongst them like to upgrade the nib from the utter rubbish that is supplied with most kits, but often do not have the confidence or the knowledge to start swapping nibs between housings, so we do the job for them. Nibs are slightly more expensive to buy that way because it involves an extra part - the Bock housing becomes redundant and the kit housing has to be paid for, although we supply and fit them on a non-profit basis.

I hope that clears up a few things - if it's just a nib you need, go for the cheapest option. As I say, the nib is easily removed, and you can always email us to suggest it needs to be easily removable. Bock housings do fit a lot of pens, and there are a lot more where you'll discard the housing, but it's extremely unlikely that any of our kit housings will fit anything other that a kit pen.

I hope that helps

Phil

[pepsiplease69]

Thanks Phil for your detailed response.

 

I'm eager to receive these nibs and try them out.

 

Primarily I'll put the #6 nibs on my Noodler's Konrads so I'll be taking them out of the housing and feed regardless.

 

But if the kit housing is compatible with the JoWo nib housing, same as Franklin Christoph, or Ranga pens, then it would mean I could have a wider range of possibilities for the nib.

[Phil_Dart]

The size 5 kit housing is compatible with JoWo Housings, but the size 6 is not. However, the size 6 nib itself will fit very well in to a JoWo size 6 housing. Confusing isn't it ?!

[pepsiplease69]

The size 5 kit housing is compatible with JoWo Housings, but the size 6 is not. However, the size 6 nib itself will fit very well in to a JoWo size 6 housing. Confusing isn't it ?!

 

Not at all. To the contrary. It explains exactly what I was looking for.

 

Now I will try it out on my own once I receive the nibs and I'll be sure to rave about the nibs if I find them to be good performers.

 

Thanks for the detailed responses.

[Jamerelbe]

Hi @Phil_Dart, thanks for interacting with this thread! I wanted to ask, are the Bock Size 5 nibs available on your website compatible with the Kaweco AL Sport pens (which I believe uses the 060 nib assembly)?

[Phil_Dart]

Hi @Phil_Dart, thanks for interacting with this thread! I wanted to ask, are the Bock Size 5 nibs available on your website compatible with the Kaweco AL Sport pens (which I believe uses the 060 nib assembly)?

The 060 is a size 5 nib - ie. it fits around a 5mm feed. The size 5 nibs on our website are type 180 which is a slightly longer nib, with a slightly longer feed. However both nibs have a common housing, so theoretically it should be possible to fit a 180 feed and nib in to the Al Sport housing, although the visible length of the nib will increase by 3 or 4mm as a result, so you would have to check that there is sufficient clearance in the cap for it.

 

Alternatively we can order the 060 nib of your choice the next time we place an order with Bock. We've just closed an order with them today as it happens, so the next one will be in about a months time, for delivery mid July.

 

I hope that helps.

[pepsiplease69]

The 060 is a size 5 nib - ie. it fits around a 5mm feed. The size 5 nibs on our website are type 180 which is a slightly longer nib, with a slightly longer feed. However both nibs have a common housing, so theoretically it should be possible to fit a 180 feed and nib in to the Al Sport housing, although the visible length of the nib will increase by 3 or 4mm as a result, so you would have to check that there is sufficient clearance in the cap for it.

 

Alternatively we can order the 060 nib of your choice the next time we place an order with Bock. We've just closed an order with them today as it happens, so the next one will be in about a months time, for delivery mid July.

 

I hope that helps.

 

If the 060's we get from Bock direct are tuned to have generous ink flow, then I wouldn't be opposed to getting several of those.

 

The Kaweco's are horribly dry writers.

[Phil_Dart]

Just a quick edit to my post above, what I should have said of coarse is given the 060 and the 180 have the same housing, assuming that Kaweco use the Bock housing (and I don't know the answer to that) you should be able to screw out the old housing and screw in the new one - no nib removal required. I don't know what I was thinking, banging on about changing feeds etc - my excuse is that it was the wrong side of midnight.

 

 

If the 060's we get from Bock direct are tuned to have generous ink flow, then I wouldn't be opposed to getting several of those.

 

The Kaweco's are horribly dry writers.

 

We don't offer a tuning service I'm afraid, and I'm not sure why a Kaweco would be especially dry. If anyone wants to post a photo or two of the dis-assembled front end of an Al Sport, I might be able to tell you about the housing and feed it uses.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Phil_Dart

[ian1964]

Great thread and answered many questions for me...thank you all.

[Frank66]

Hi everybody, Phil thanks for your replies. I have one more question:

1. Can any of the #5 or $6 nibs units be special ordered with an ebonite feed?
2. When will the new EF titanium nibs will be available, and can they be special ordered with an ebonite feed too?

Thanks in advance.

 

Photios

Edited May 24, 2016 by Frank66

[Phil_Dart]

Hi everybody, Phil thanks for your replies. I have one more question:

1. Can any of the #5 or $6 nibs units be special ordered with an ebonite nib?
2. When will the new EF titanium nibs will be available, and can they be special ordered with an ebonite too?

Thanks in advance.

 

Photios

Hi Photios

 

Bock's #8 comes with an ebonite feed as standard, but their #5 & #6 nibs all have moulded ABS feeds. I phoned Bock and asked the question this morning for you and was told that sadly they're not available in ebonite even as a special order because they would need to be tooled instead of moulded, so I'm afraid the answer is no, ebonite feeds can't be ordered, even for the titanium nibs - Sorry.

 

#6 Titanium are in stock in M & F although stocks are extremely low. Replacement stock is expected here in early June.

#6 Ti Broad are on order and expected here in early June,

#6 Ti EF are on order and expected here mid July.

 

#5 Titanium are in stock in M & F.

There are no current orders to expand the #5 titanium range as the demand does not appear to be there, although I'm happy to reconsider that if the demand is proven.

 

Solid 18k gold are also in stock in M in both sizes.(ha ha - I just though I'd pop that in)

Edited May 24, 2016 by Phil_Dart